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September 29, 2017

Government by Grievance

We have a problem with government but it is not what most people think. We have grown to be a very large country and the only way to govern a large population like ours is to have a big government. A lot of people do not like a big government or even any government at all. Unfortunately, there is no choice but to make the best of our imperfect system of government.

Some form of government is essential whether we are talking about very local areas or our whole country. Government is a business but it is unlike any other business. There are a lot of folks who want benefits from the government. Unfortunately, some of those who scream the most about others getting more than their fair share actually get more than any of us. That is true especially if we take into account tax breaks like mortgage interest deductions that are unavailable to those who do not own their own homes. With all the competing interests keeping enough people happy to run a government is a challenge.

I can remember years ago people saying the problem with the Mid-East was that their governments were elected with the stated purpose of settling scores with the side that lost. At the time it was easy to think that America was better. It seemed that we could always come together and make tiny steps towards common goals that improved the lives of most people.

The idea that politics should be about helping the majority has been lost in this new ugly world. Unfortunately our politics has gotten a lot more about settling scores than providing good governance. Some folks trace this trend back to Newt Gingrich who thought politics should be combat. Wherever it came from, the idea that for me to win that you have to lose is destroying the civility that has held our society together at a lot of levels.

Our society has gotten to the point that many make fun of people who take governing seriously. We have people who want roles of authority but do not know how to carry out the responsibilities that come with those roles. The result is government that does not work. Many of the unwritten but widely accepted norms that helped governments be successful have dissolved. We have people in government for the sole reason of dismantling what the last government put in place. We have people willing to smear others and do whatever it takes to inflame passions so they can carry out their own very personal agenda.

On the national level, we have a president who refused to release his tax returns during the election. Releasing tax returns was a long-established custom. Now the same president is proposing tax cuts. We can only guess had how his tax reform would impact his taxes. We also have to guess at why he continues to be soft on Russia. Is it because he has business deals or loans? All this makes a mockery of transparent government.

It is not just a problem at a national level. I spent three years on the board of our HOA. The third year after we took over from the management company, I ended up cleaning up the finances which meant making certain that everyone paid their fair share of dues. When we stepped down, another group used some shady techniques during the election and took over the HOA with the single goal of doing away with equitable dues and making certain that a few people got a special deal. They held meetings in secret and had to be forced to have open board meetings. They resigned after eight months and we got a lesson in democracy.

We got a new HOA but only after creating a special committee and signing a petition for a special election. Unfortunately they were only in office a few months before another group took over. We all had high hopes but four months into the fiscal year, the new group had provided us with no minutes and no open board meetings. Somehow the norm of having a board meeting every other month or so and providing minutes had dissolved. Questions to the board went unanswered and safety issues went unaddressed while the board focused on parties which ended up getting out of hand with no one ready to take full responsibility for what happened.

The first lesson that I have learned from all of this is that good government requires participation and constant vigilance. Sitting back and applauding actions that make you feel good without really understanding what is happening is not participation. Being happy at the expense of others will not work for long.

Open book government with lots of communication is a key part of the recipe for success. While not everyone will be happy with your decisions, if you treat everyone the same and involve as many people as possible in decisions, you are doing the best that you can. Secret hearings on a health care plan that impacts everyone are not the way to go. While secret hearings are far worse than closed board meetings with special guests, both are toxic and destroy the trust that is the foundation of good government.

All this has reinforced the lesson we had drummed into us at McCallie, where I went to high school.

"When the going gets tough, the tough get going."

You do not quit because a few people are complaining. If you are doing the job you were elected to do correctly, you keep going. If you cannot commit to doing a job right and for the right reasons, think twice about about taking responsibility for others.

Once you take the helm, you need to do the job to the best of your ability and not throw up your hands if things get challenging. Seek out advice from those who successfully did the job before you and focus on those people whose trust you need to earn, not just a few who are seeking special favors or just along for the fun ride. If you make a mistake, take full responsibility and say you are sorry. Involve as many people as possible and listen more than you talk. Do not exclude from government the very people whose expertise might make your government successful.